This week the published studies gained 14 notes across 1 chapter in Mark. Each entry links to the chapter page, where the note sits beside the text and the commentaries.
Mark 1
How should we understand supernatural occurrences like this? Was the man’s outburst caused by a medical condition unknown to the ancient Israelites, or are demons real supernatural beings?
The Bible suggests these are real entities. We must understand that science can only investigate observable symptoms, brain function, trauma, and so on. It can explain why someone may hear voices, become disoriented, or see things that aren’t there, but it can’t confirm or rule out anything supernatural.
John the Baptist is, of course, mentioned in the other Gospels as the forerunner to Jesus’ ministry. He came from the wilderness—or, more precisely, from uninhabited or sparsely inhabited areas, most likely the arid region west of the Dead Sea or the Judean Desert.
John’s popularity should not be underestimated. The historian Josephus wrote about him at length, explaining that a defeat of Herod was attributed to God’s wrath for his execution of John. The people liked him and were greatly displeased when he was executed. By all accounts, he was a good person who baptized Jews with water to symbolize their renunciation of sin.
John’s clothing mimicked the dress of Old Testament prophets. His diet of locusts and wild honey suggests he lived simply, relying on the land while testifying to the people.
Just as Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus was tested there for 40 days. The same Spirit who descended on Jesus at his baptism led him into the wilderness to be tested—though Mark’s wording suggests he was forcefully driven there. Satan was his adversary, and Mark’s language hints that the tests were powerful. Angels were there to help Jesus. Passing the tests would show that he was capable of carrying out God’s plan.
Mark returns to John the Baptist a few chapters later. Here, he uses John to transition to Jesus’ ministry and show how John’s ministry prepared the way for Jesus’ arrival. The original Greek says, “After John was delivered over,” which most translations understand to mean that he was imprisoned. It could also mean that John was handed over to death, or executed, though this is an unlikely interpretation.
The word “gospel” means “good news.” Jesus was proclaiming the good news of God. What was this good news? As Jesus taught, it was forgiveness for our sins and restoration to God’s grace when we do our best to live by the lessons he taught us.
Mark’s account of Simon Peter and Andrew’s calling is brief, while other Gospels provide more detail about the fisherman brothers. Mark may include the story because of the profoundness of Jesus’ words: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Fishing in ancient Israel was not simply a matter of dropping a line and hook and waiting. The many professional fishermen on the Sea of Galilee used weighted nets cast from boats. It was hard, gruelling work that required long hours and great patience. The parallel between fishing for men and catching ordinary fish is therefore a close one. Jesus’ task was hard, required much work, and called for a lot of patience.
In 1985, the Sea of Galilee’s water level dropped very low, exposing a boat dating to the first century—the time of Jesus. The boat was about 30 feet long and 8 feet wide, and was designed to accommodate four rowers and a large sail.
The fact that James and John’s father had hired men working in the fishing business suggests they were well-off, something like businessmen. Leaving it all to follow Jesus would have been no small sacrifice.
Mark 1:21 — The ruins of a synagogue still stand in
Capernaum, Simon Peter’s hometown, lies on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major regional trade and economic center, it became a home base for Jesus’ ministry. During Jesus’ ministry, it had a population of around 1,500. Today, it is a popular tourist destination.
The ruins of a synagogue from Jesus’ time still stand in Capernaum (it was buried under a 4th-century synagogue). They likely aren’t part of the same structure where Jesus spoke, but are believed to have been built on the same site as the one mentioned in this verse.
That Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching is not surprising. A tenet known as “freedom of the synagogue” allowed visiting ministers to preach openly. In this regard, Jesus was a true minister—and a very good one at that.
The scribes were also known as the “teachers of the law.” Since the Old Testament formed the basis of law at that time, they were essentially lawyers who taught people how to interpret it. Most were Pharisees, though some were Sadducees or priests.
Unlike traditional teachers of the law, who taught from the traditions of the Old Testament prophets, Jesus spoke with direct authority from God. We see this style throughout the Gospels. A traditional teacher might say, “Moses taught us that…” Jesus, however, would say, Moses taught as that… But truly I tell you that…
Note that the demon-possessed man seemed to be inside the synagogue—a house of worship. We see church leaders fall and churches collapse from internal turmoil far too often. It makes sense that demons would focus their attacks on the place where their greatest enemies, Christians, gather.
Some translations say the demons asked, “What to us and to you?”—a phrase that doesn’t make much sense today. In ancient times, it was a Hebrew idiom meaning something like, “What do you want with us?”
Read Mark 1 with all its notes → · open in the full reader
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